“I just want to be happy. And it’s not about the house. The issue is that I stood up to him. He’s never wrong. What he says goes. I was raised to always defer to Papá, and then my future husband.”
He pulled her toward him. “I hope you know that I don’t want that.” He paused. “If we were to get married someday, I would want an equal. A partner in life. Not a servant.”
She bit her lower lip. “Married...?”
“Yes, married. I want to get married one day and have a family. I love kids. You don’t ever see yourself getting married?” He pulled her closer to him. She felt so good in his arms, in his place.
She looked away. “Not really. And I’m not even sure about kids. I practically raised my sisters when my parents were in the fields. I just want to focus on myself.”
Ah.She had made a similar comment before, but he had wanted clarity on her feelings.
Enrique tried to brush off her words, but they bothered him. Hedidwant to settle down. Hedidwant to have kids. He understoodthat she had no desire to be in the type of marriage her parents were in, but she could never see herself getting married? Ever?
“I get it. You’re young, though; maybe you will change your mind.”
“And maybe I won’t.” She turned on him, pain flashing in her eyes.
Enrique wanted to swallow his words. “Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invalidate your feelings. All I meant is that you will change a lot in the next five to seven years, especially if you are independent from your family. Forget I said it.”
“Already forgotten,” she said quietly.
Maybe she would change her mind one day.
But maybe she wouldn’t. Enrique never bought into the fact that all women should want kids.
But he knew that he did.
It was way too early in the relationship to be thinking about that. Even so, he couldn’t let go of a nagging feeling that they weren’t right for each other.
He kissed her and showed her around the rest of his home. It was already pretty late, so they ordered takeout and then went to sleep.
•••
The next morning, they woke early, and he led her to his local bakery, Wayfarer, for some bread and pastries.
She ordered a blood orange croissant, and he had an egg sandwich.
“This place is great. I wonder where they get their fruit.” Carolina looked out on the deck toward the ocean.
He laughed. “I don’t know. You scouting new business? We could start working on my farm and lure them in as clients.”
She bit her lip and gave a noncommittal laugh. “We will see.”
Another awkward reaction. Had he said something wrong? Shehad left her home, and, after a wild, romantic road trip, they’d come to San Diego together. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, and she had lost her virginity to him. Was he wrong to entertain the possibility that she would consider moving to San Diego to be with him? How else could this work? Sure, they could have a long-distance relationship, but this was infinitely better. They didn’t even have to live together; she could rent her own place as soon as she decided if she was staying.
And besides, now that they’d had sex, things between them felt different. He was almost thirty and wanted to move on to the next phase of his life. He had spent years fucking around and not taking things seriously. He wanted a partner. He wanted someone to share his life with, the good times and the bad. And he wanted to start a family of his own.
Even though she had clearly said she wasn’t sure if she wanted one. Ever.
That was a deal breaker for Enrique. He would never ask a woman to change her mind about wanting a family, but he knew that children were something he wanted in his future.
He would wait to bring that up later when they were more established in their relationship—he didn’t want to waste her time—or his.
No matter what happened between them, she had to make decisions about her own future. She was at a very personal crossroads.
All Enrique could do was support her.
Then it hit him.
